Two Team Europe heroes at risk of 2027 Ryder Cup ban after victory
Team Europe duo Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton could be forced to miss out on the 2027 Ryder Cup as their dispute with the DP World Tour continues
Team Europe celebrated into the early hours after successfully defending the Ryder Cup on American soil on Sunday. The Team Europe squad triumphed 15-13 at Bethpage Black, holding firm as Team USA attempted a comeback during the singles matches.
Despite facing a hostile crowd that hurled abuse at Luke Donald's players, Team Europe sealed the victory with almost an identical squad to their Ryder Cup win in Rome two years ago. The only change was the replacement of Nicolai Hojgaard for his brother Rasmus.
The rest of Donald's team consisted of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg, Robert MacIntyre, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. The last two, LIV Golf's Rahm and Hatton, were only able to participate in the 45th edition of the Ryder Cup after appealing against the DP World Tour - a move which could potentially affect their future involvement in the tournament.
Rahm and Hatton are both still contesting fines imposed by the DP World Tour for participating in LIV Golf events. Both golfers joined the Saudi-backed tour ahead of the 2024 season.
They are currently in the appeal process, which is why both players were permitted to compete in Donald's Ryder Cup squad. If given the opportunity, the two golfers could be aiming for a Ryder Cup hat-trick in 2027.
READ MORE: Justin Rose makes feelings clear on captaining Team Europe at the Ryder CupREAD MORE: Luke Donald issues two-word verdict on staying on as Team Europe Ryder Cup captainWith Donald tipped to return as captain, it seems probable he would want Rahm and Hatton, given the strong team spirit within the European team. However, that could be prevented by Rahm and Hatton's ongoing dispute.
The DP World Tour also handed out fines and bans to the likes of Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, and Ian Poulter, who have all previously featured in the Ryder Cup for Team Europe.
"You know as much as I do," Rahm told reporters when asked about his appeal against the DP World Tour. "I have no idea. I have no clue.
"To be fair, I completely forgot about it, which is a good thing. I hope I forget about it until it happens."
The Spaniard refuses to pay his hefty fines, convinced his Ryder Cup future remains secure going forward. Putting any lingering concerns aside, Rahm was in high spirits following Team Europe's success, marking the first away Ryder Cup victory since the 'Miracle in Medinah' in 2012.
The 30-year-old, who delivered what many consider the shot of the 2025 Ryder Cup when he chipped in on the eighth for a brilliant birdie from the rough in the foursomes, praised his skipper, Donald after the tournament.
"There's so many things that Luke has done outstandingly, professionally [that are] so perfect that it's hard to say one [thing]," Rahm said when asked about his captain.
"Without getting too much into it, the level of professionalism he's shown us the last four years, his attention to detail and his poise, and his knowledge of the Ryder Cup and the game and what we do on the golf course day-in-and-day-out has made these last two Ryder Cups possible.
"He's the captain of this ship, and he's led us better than I can see anybody leading us. He's set the bar extremely high for future captains."
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